U.S., Australia to discuss rare earth minerals

* Newspaper predicts big expansion in military cooperation

* Rudd would welcome more U.S. use of Australian ports

By Arshad Mohammed and Sonali Paul

MELBOURNE, Australia, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The United States and Australia will discuss how to ensure supplies of rare earth minerals in talks on Monday that will cover defense, space and cybersecurity cooperation, U.S. and Australian officials said.

Speaking ahead talks between the U.S. foreign and defense ministers, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would not comment on a newspaper report that Australia had agreed to a big expansion of military cooperation with the United States.

The Australian newspaper reported this would include more visits by U.S. ships, aircraft and troops, saying the access to Australian facilities would allow the United States to increase its presence amid concern about China's military expansion.

The United States has been uncomfortable about China's decision to slash rare earth export quotas generally and to cut shipments to Japan, with which it is embroiled in a territorial dispute over islands they both claim in the East China Sea.

China, which makes 97 percent of the current global supply of rare earth minerals needed for TV screens, iPhones, computers and semiconductors, has begun to cut its exports.

"It is not, whether it's China or anyone else, wise to be so dependent upon a single source for elements that are critical to many of the most advanced civilian and military technologies that countries like Australia and the United States produce and utilise," Clinton told reporters.